Abstract
In the 21st century, conversations about politics have moved almost entirely online. Americans now argue with total strangers, none of whom we will ever face in real life. To top it off, these digital conversations seldom have nuance or agreement to any extent; in a word, polarization. But what if we created a space purpose-built to talk with one another, even (especially) if our perspectives don’t align?
Bipartisan Beer Works is a brewery to foster conversations about politics over pints of ale. The atmosphere is one of casual, humorous conversation but built around speaking to one another face-to-face. The visual design addresses those with an interest in politics but establishes that nuance and common ground are achievable between people. The focus is on bipartisanship in so much as there are elements of policies that a plurality of people can support. Wall graphics establish the function of the space, beer names speak to elements in politics and card games in the space foster conversation.